Days after Bianca Betancourt documented Madison Utendahl’s engagement celebration extravaganza for Harper’s Bazaar, she was preparing for her personal huge day—her wedding ceremony! The tradition editor married fiancé DJ Ben Stepnowski in October. The couple tied the knot in The Massive Straightforward on the sixth anniversary of their first date—and a yr after they received engaged on the similar resort. The weekend was a glittering celebration of dancing, NOLA, and naturally, love. Let’s let Bianca take it away.
Pricey ITG,
I’m a spouse! I married my husband, Ben, in New Orleans, on October 20.
Ben and I met in late 2017—waaay earlier than I turned the tradition editor at Harper’s Bazaar—once I was residing in Chicago. Humorous sufficient, he was my ex-boyfriend’s roommate, which is at all times a enjoyable dialog starter. On the time, I ran an indie artwork journal referred to as Circus, and once I discovered he was a DJ, I requested him to play at a gallery occasion hosted by the journal. He was an actual DJ enjoying at golf equipment, however there I used to be asking him to do that small occasion, each as a result of I wanted a DJ but in addition as a result of I appreciated him. We frolicked for a few weeks, and the evening of the celebration, he requested me to be his girlfriend.
The primary journey we took collectively was to New Orleans to rejoice Ben’s birthday. I had gone to NOLA on my own earlier that yr, and I liked the whole lot about it—the meals, the music, the folks—and I simply knew that Ben would find it irresistible, too. After that first journey and up till the pandemic, we went yearly, whether or not it was for a birthday or an anniversary or simply to get away for the weekend.
On our five-year anniversary final yr, Ben stunned me with a keep at Lodge Saint Vincent, and he proposed on one of many balconies with dinner and flowers. We checked out just a few different venues after we have been planning our wedding ceremony early on, however we finally landed on HSV. Not solely was it attractive, however we liked the meals, the drinks, and the workers. It was a no brainer.
The colour scheme for the marriage was cream and black. We additionally had pops of silver—the photograph sales space had a enjoyable, metallic fringe, and we had a disco ball—so it sort of gave Beyoncé’s Membership Renaissance, earlier than we even knew what that will seem like.
To start with, I needed a princess robe. Don’t get me improper, these robes are stunning, however they’d means an excessive amount of cloth once I truly began attempting them on. I ended up discovering the proper gown from Eva Lendel. It has a extremely stunning off-the-shoulder neckline, a prepare that isn’t overwhelmingly lengthy, and a leg slit for somewhat little bit of sexiness. It’s off-white, too; I didn’t desire a true white as a result of it could be too stark on my pores and skin. I wore a pair of strappy sandals from Magda Butrym for the ceremony, after which switched into Loeffler Randall kitten mules that carried me by way of our second line, cocktail hour, and our first dance. When the dance ground was actually going, I switched right into a child blue strapless gown from 16Arlington and silver kitten heels from Larroudé.
I labored with make-up artist Mollie Gloss for my make-up. We met in Chicago and moved to New York across the similar time, so we’ve been associates for nearly a decade. Going into it, she already knew what I used to be—and wasn’t—keen to experiment with and what works for my face. My two predominant inspirations have been Zendaya, particularly her work with Raoul Alejandre, and Beyoncé. I believed her make-up on the Renaissance tour was so good. It was festive however not excessive. So, I actually needed somewhat little bit of the shimmer from Renaissance and the contemporary, glowy look that Zendaya is thought for.
Mollie used a number of Charlotte Tilbury, Uncommon Magnificence, and Saie on me for each the rehearsal dinner and the precise wedding ceremony. For my dinner lip look, she used a combo of the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat liners in Iconic Nude and Pillow Discuss 3 Intense, with a little bit of the Uncommon Magnificence Lip Soufflé Matte Cream Lipstick in Braveness on the middle of the lips, topped with the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre Gloss in Pillow Discuss to mix all of it in. The subsequent day, we saved the Charlotte Tilbury combo however swapped within the Uncommon Magnificence Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream in Assured and the Saie Glossybounce Lip Gloss Oil in Kiss.
My updo was very ‘90s and Pamela Anderson-inspired. Now that I’m occupied with it, it positively provides off Selena Quintanilla vibes, too; Selena-everything is at all times embedded in my mind. In the end, my appears have been a two-part course of. I went to my common hairstylist Mickiela Mbatha for a contemporary trim and my first-ever extensions for quantity. Actually, I used to be scared—I believed they may look loopy—however nobody knew I had them until I informed them. Then in New Orleans, my hairstylist was Courtney Bradberry from Paris Parker. She’s mainly the queen of hair in NOLA. She’s been doing it for 15 years, so if you’d like fabulous, particular occasion hair, you go to her. We went with a aspect bang for my rehearsal dinner hair and delightful, voluminous waves for the ceremony. For the after-party, she put it again up in simply quarter-hour. She’s magic.
I went to this actually cute salon on Journal Avenue referred to as Southern Swings Nail Spa, the place you actually sit on swings, for a basic French mani—I didn’t need to give it some thought too arduous. For my toes, I went with a very nice pinky nude referred to as My Vampire is Buff from OPI. Ben received a mani-pedi, too.
Selecting a fragrance for the weekend was so necessary. I ended up layering Phlur’s Father Determine and Dauphinette’s 369. Father Determine may be very fig-forward with touches of bergamot, which is a large sure for me. The evening earlier than, I wore Phlur’s Lacking Individual, a heat, spicy scent with a touch of citrus, combined with Reduox’s Paradise Service.
We’re actually excited for our honeymoon subsequent yr. We’ll most likely go to the Amalfi Coast within the spring, however for a small celebration, we spent a few days on the Delamar Lodge in Southport, Connecticut after the marriage. Ben laughs as a result of I maintain saying it felt like an episode of Gilmore Ladies in the course of the fall, nevertheless it did!
—As informed to Daise Bedolla
Photographs by Mollie Gloss and JP Calubaquib; Courtesy of Bianca Betancourt
